HUNTINGTON BEACH – Once in a while, a wave with a 4- or 5-foot face would appear. But most of the waves Tuesday at the Nike U.S. Open of Surfing were in the 2- to 3-foot range.

There didn’t seem to be as many bigger waves as surfers would have liked, either, but this event contains the best in the world, so they make do with what they have.

“This time of year, generally we have a lot more south swell. But right now, you know, they’re bigger than Lake Tahoe,” Huntington Beach’s Tim Reyes said, laughing.

“We’re making it happen; we’re doing the best we can. Looks like there might be some waves maybe in another day or two. We’re all still surfing pretty good for the conditions out there.”

Despite the conditions, there were still some outstanding rides.

Reyes was one of several surfers who finished in the top two of their respective four-man heats, advancing from the Round of 48 to the Round of 24. Six of the 12 heats in the round were contested, with the other six on tap today at 12:30p.m.

Reyes was second in his heat with a best two-wave combined score of 13.00. Taking first in his heat was Kai Otton of Australia, with a 15.93. Reyes had to sweat out the last five minutes of the 30-minute heat, knowing that Florida’s Evan Geiselman and Tomas Hermes of Brazil were trying to knock him out.

Reyes said he felt no pressure.

“Honestly, it’s actually better to come from behind,” he said. “I don’t have to have a lead or a second. I would rather have the last five minutes myself to try to work towards that. I’m just stoked about making through.”

Ventura’s Dane Reynolds was thrilled about coming through with two sensational rides. First he had an 8.77, then out-did himself with a 9.77 with about 1:30 left in the 30-minute heat. His combined score of 18.54 was easily the best of the round.

“I’m like, I don’t know, 185 pounds and not that nimble to little waves, so I didn’t have much expectations,” said Reynolds, whose 9.77 included an upside down, inverted rotation. “I was stoked to get some speed going and and be able to get enough to get in the air.”

Reynolds rode five waves.

Other top combined scores came from Miguel Pupo (16.80) of Brazil, Jesse Mendes (16.17) of Brazil and Kelly Slater (16.03). Slater, the defending world champion from Cocoa Beach, Fla., won his heat.

On the women’s side, fans had to like the idea that the initial heat featured Courtney Conlogue and Malia Manuel, who are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the world title rankings, respectively, by the Association of Surfing Professionals.

Unfortunately, rideable waves were not rolling in one after another. Conlogue, of Santa Ana, was beaten out by Manuel, of Hawaii, with Sarah Mason taking third in the heat.

There were six heats, the top two out of each three-woman heat advancing to this morning’s second round, which begins at 7:30.

Conlogue was not too down.

“Yeah, it’s definitely very inconsistent, super tricky out there,” she said. “I mean, there was going to be a winner and I was bummed I couldn’t have gotten first. But I get a second chance and I’m really looking forward to my heat tomorrow.

“I just have to wash this one off and hopefully I’ll be on some of those better exchanges and have a better wave so I can get the best scores.”

Conlogue did not want to get too caught up in the lack of opportunities.

“I don’t want to complain because everyone has those same conditions and there is always going to be a winner out there, so Malia just happened to catch those right waves and outsmarted me a little with strategy. She was back-paddling a little bit.

“That’s part of the game, especially when it gets small like this.”

Manuel intimated some of her strategy was gathered before her heat at 10:30a.m.

“From this morning I had a free surf and it was lower tide, and as the day’s moving on, it’s rising and there is a little bit of a sea breeze now,” she said. “So it all kind of plays out and you just kind of have to focus on maybe the heat before and just kind of figure out where you want to go and kind of your game plan.”

Manuel’s heat followed the final heat of the men’s Round of 96.

Her two best scores totaled 14.03 points, with Conlogue coming in at 12.74.

Carissa Moore of Hawaii came through with the best two-wave score of 16.83. Moore is the defending ASP world champion. In yet another heat, Lakey Peterson of Montecito had a 15.60.

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